Apparatus for charging cartridge belts



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APPARATUS FOR CHARGING CARTRIDGE BELTS Filed March 9, 1942 v Sheets-Sheet '4 INVENTbR.

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)LZZV M MP W] MM N w NM k m fin 65V @m V @Q Aug. 22, 1944. c. T. HALL APPARATUS FOR CHARGING CARTRIDGE BELTS Filed March 9, 1942 Patented Aug. 22, 1944 APPARATUS FOR CHARGING CARTRIDGE BELTS Charles Thomas Hall, Deptford, London, England, assignor to Molins Machine Company, Limited, Deptford, London, England Application March 9, 1942, Serial No. 434,011 In Great Britain March 12, 1941 Claims.

This invention concerns improvements in or relating to apparatus for charging cartridgebelts.

The invention is concerned with preformed cartridge-belts, that is, cartridge-belts which have clips for receiving cartridges and which are preformed before being charged, as distinguished from the type of belt in which the cartridges, themselves act as means for holding the clips together. These preformed cartridge-belts are adapted to contain a predetermined number of cartridges and have a tag at one or at both ends. One kind of preformed belt comprises cartridgeclips which are secured at predetermined intervals to a canvas band, while another kind of preformed belt comprises clips which are hingedly connected. The cartridges must, when a machine-gun or cannon is in action, be presented at regular intervals to the breech of the gun and these intervals determine the pitch of the clips on the belt, that is the distance between the centres of successive clips. The extended length of a belt is not, however, necessarily a multiple of the pitch of the clips plus the tag or tags, because in the case of the belt which comprises a canvas band, the latter has a tendency to stretch and it is not arranged so that it is taut between successive clips, while in the case of the'beit in which the clips are hingedlyconnected, there is a certain amount of clearance around the hinged pins. Further, a part at least of the tag is usually of a width which is substantially qual to the length of a clip considered in a direction normal to the length of the belt. These features of a preformed belt require that special provisions shall be made when constructing a machine to charge the belt with cartridges.

According to the invention-there is provided a machine for charging preformed cartridge-belts comprising in combination endless conveyormechanism which comprises two successive portions, the first portion having a number of locat ing-means equal in number to the number of clips on a belt and arranged to retain the clips substantially equispaced whilst being fed by the conveyor-mechanism, and the second portion being of sumcient length to accommodate tags on the belts, means operable in timed relationship with the conveyor-mechanism to deliver cartridges into alignment with clips located in the said first portion and to prevent the feeding of cartridges to said second portionand means to insert into the clips the cartridges so fed. The cartridges may be fed to'the machine from a plurality of feeding stations along the conveyor.

The means for preventing the feeding of cartridges may comprise a control m'ember movable in timed relationship with the conveyor, said control member being operatively coupled to stop members movable into and out of the path of cartridges at each station in such manner that the stop members are caused to move into the paths of the cartridges and hold up further feeding thereof at a predetermined time during a cycle of the conveyor. The control member may comprise a rotatable cam arranged to make one revolution during a cycle of the conveyor. The cartridge feeding means may comprise a hopper at each station which delivers cartridges to a fluted drum having stop members adapted to intercept the movement of cartridges to the flutes thereof.

Means may be provided operable automatically to stop the machine at the end of one cycle of the conveyor and where the machine is driven by an electrical motor, said means may comprise a member movable in timed relationship with the conveyor and operable to break a switch in the motor circuit.

That part of the conveyor on which the tags of a belt are supported may be so arranged (e. g. plain) that the tags lie fiat on the upper surface thereof, and guides may be provided to control the clips of the belt and locate them in the pockets of the conveyor, 7

One embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a small scale front elevation of a machine for charging preformed cartridge-belts.

' Figures 1A and 13 together constitute a front elevation similar to that shown in Figure 1 but drawn to a larger scale, the views joining up on the line I-I.

Figure 2 is an end elevation of Figures 1A and 1B looking in the direction of the arrow A, Figure 13.

Figures 3A and 3B are plan views of Figures 1A and 13 respectively.

Figure 4 is a plan View of part of an endless conveyor above which are shown plans of corresponding parts of preformed belts.

Figure 5 is a front elevation of the conveyor shown in Figure 4 and above this are shown elevations of corresponding parts of preformed belts.

Figure 6 shows a-circuit of the arrangements for starting, running and stopping the machine.

Referring to the drawings, the machine for charging the belts comprises generally a bed I,

an endless conveyor indicated generally by the reference 2 and provided with pockets or flutes which extend in a direction normal to the direction of movement of the conveyor mechanism.

indicated generally by the reference 3, to feed of which the first portion is composed of pieces A and 5C provided with pockets or flutes I. The

number of pockets in this portion is equal to the 7 number of clips on a belt which is to be. filled,

The machine is of similar general construction to that described and illustrated in United States application Serial No. 369,660, with cartridge feeding hoppers as described and illustrated in United States application Serial No. 380,934, and the remaining description will therefore be comparatively brief and confined to the features of the present invention together with an outline of the main driving elements, as the starting and stopping arrangements of the machine are of special importance in the present I case.

Referring to Figures 1A to 3B, the bed I is sup- |ported on standards I4 to the right hand one,

and the pockets which receive cartridges from the,

feeding means also act as locating-means to determine the position of the clips on the conveyor.

In the machine illustrated there are 55 conveyor pieces 5A each having four flutes or pockets. Some of these conveyor pieces are shown in detail in Figures 4 and 5. The conveyor comprises four other conveyor plates, three of which are alike and marked 513, while the fourth has two flutes only and is marked 56. The arrangement may be easily followed from Figures 4 and 5 where several plates 5A, constituting the extremities of the major portion of the pocketed part of the conveyor, join on to the four pieces 5B and 5C above mentioned.

The three pieces 5B and the shallow fluted part of the piece 50 constitute the second portion of the conveyor, and the relatively flat upper surfaces of said pieces, (which for convenience will be called plain), are adapted to accommodate and support the tag or tags on a belt. In these views the arrows indicate the direction of movement of the conveyor. The plain upper surfaces are obtained by removing material from the tops of four fluted pieces such as 5A. Alternatively these conveyor pieces may have completely fiat surfaces. On reference to Figures 4 and 5,.it will be observed that each pocket or flute 1 consists of two portions of equal depth viz. a long portion atone side of the conveyor-piece which holds the cartridge when it is first deliveredto the pocket and a short portion of the same crosssectional shape, separated from'the long portion by a sxpace. 'In this space there are flutes of larger radius, whose tops and bottoms are at lower levels than those of the flutes I. The preformed belt is located in this space, which is shaped thus to accommodate the clips, when the machine is in use. The short portions of the pockets Tl form abutments which are necessary when the cartridges are inserted into the belt clips as will be described later. As is known, these preformed belts differ considerably in length and'design and the number of plain pieces used in a conveyor depends on the length of the ing 21.

Figure 1B, of which is fixed a motor I5 having a pulley l6. Belts I! on this pulley also pass around a large pulley l8 fixed on a shaft 59 journalled in bearings 20 mounted on the side of the A gear Wheel 2| fixed on said shaft engages with another gear wheel 22' fixed on one end of a shaft 23 to which are secured a number of worms, this shaft being hereafter termed the worm-shaft. The first worm I24 on the shaft engages a worm-wheel I25. The next four worms 24 along the shaft are all alike and each engages with a worm-wheel 25. These worm-wheels are also alike and fixed to similarshort shafts 23 'j ournalled in bearings formed in a casing or hous- The reason for gearing the pulley 18 to the shaft 23 by the gears 2| and 22 is that the empty preformed belt which is being fed to the machine hangs downwardly from the bed over a guide 6|, and it is necessary to offset the driving pulley from the bed to some extent to avoid fouling the depending belt.

A further worm 28 on the worm-shaft 23 en gages a worm-Wheel 29 which drives the cartridge inserting mechanism 4 as described in the first specification above referred to, and a still further worm 30 engages a worm-wheel 3|. This worl. wheel is fixed to a cross shaft 32, journalled in the bed, which forms the forward spindle of the endless conveyor; On this spindle there are mounted a pair of sprocket wheels 33 which 'engage the links 6 of the conveyor as shownin I Figure -1A. 7 An extension of said spindle has a bevel gear-wheel 34 fixed on it. This engages with a smaller bevel gear-wheel 35 fixed ona shaft .36 journalled in brackets 31, from which shaftrthe cartridge feeding mechanism is driven.

The other end'of the conveyor is supported on sprocket wheels 38 fixed on a spindle 39 which isjournalled in the bed.

When the machine is to be operated to charge a belt, the leading end, (i. e. the loop [2), of a belt is manually fed to the conveyor while the tags of a'belt. Thus a conveyor could be made machine is at rest and the first clip on the belt is positioned in the leading pocket on the conveyor, Figures 4 and 5. The belt is controlled laterally by fixed guides. 60. The tag at the leading end of the belt then rests on the plain portion of the conveyor and between the guides I3.

While the first clip is being located in the leading pocket on the conveyor, several of the succeeding clips are also located in pockets. A pressuremember 40, which is pivoted to a bracket 4| which are required forhandling the belts in use;

The second portion of the conveyor maybe provided with guides l3 fixed on some of the pieces 5B and arranged to restrain the tags against lateral movement.

fixed to the bed of the machine, isthen'moved downwardly" into'engagement with the clips which have been so located in'the pocket of the conveyor,' the pressure-memberfoperating to retain the clips in the pockets of the conveyor. The

, conveyor is then caused to move forwardly by starting the machine, an operation which is described in detail later. When the machine is started, the conveyor moves forwardly with'a continuous movement and the belt is automatically fed to the conveyor by reason of the conveyor pulling on the leading end of the belt. As the conveyor moves forwardly, it passes beneath four rotatable drums 42 having flutes 43 which.

deliver cartridges into the pockets of the conveyor. The arrangement and operation of these drums is similar to that described in the United States application Serial No. 369,660 referred to above, and they are fixed to four of the shafts 26 previously mentioned and thus are driven from theworm-shaft 23. Cartridges are fed to the drums by hopper-mechanism constructed as shown'and described in'UnitedStates application Serial No. 380,934, but any other suitable cartridge feeding hopper could of course be used. Fragments of this mechanism are shown in Figures 2' and 3A and comprise rotatable rollers 44 which feed the cartridges into guides 35 from which they descend into empty drum flutes as the'drums rotate.

The total number of flutes 43 contained by the four drums is, in the construction being described. twenty four and the drums are driven as above described and in timed relationship with the conveyor and at such a speed that the conveyor moves through one cycle while the drums make ten revolutions. In the same period the wormwheel I25 makes one revolution. Thus provision is made so that the drums are capable of feeding 240 cartridges durin each complete cycle or revolution of the conveyor. The belt to be charged, however, comprises only 226 clips, so that the drums are required to feed only 226 cartridges. Means described below are provided to prevent fourteen cartridges from being fed by the drums during each cycle of the conveyor. The space on the conveyor which would be cccupied by the fourteen cartridges which are not fed, corresponds with the second portion, which in the example described is the plain portion of the conveyor and which supports the tags of a belt. r

Rails 46 are mounted above the conveyor in the manner shown in the drawings and these serve to retain the belt against displacement relatively to the pockets. Further, as will be seen on reference to Figures 1A or 1B, the rails are discontinuous and small passages A? are left near 'to thebottom of the drums through which the cartridges can pass. The cartridges are held in the drum flutes, until they reach .a position above a conveyor flute, by guides d8 as in the first specification above referred to.

The four drums are useful in efiecting a high rate of feed, but they are also useful in feeding different kinds of cartridges when it is desired to make up a belt having different cartridges in a predetermined and recurring sequence. In this latter case, the particular distribution of the 24 flutes among the four drums is determined by the kind of belt required. For instance in the.

example shown in the drawings, the drums have 9, 6, 6 and 3 flutes respectively. The drum with 9 flutes feeds nose bullets N, the two drums with 6 flutes feed tracer bullet T and armour piercing bullets P respectively, and the drum with 3 flutes feeds incendiary bullets I. the whole giving a sequence of TNPNTNPI which is repeated three times in a belt length filled by one cycle or revolution of the drums.

The machine is driven as aforesaid by theelectrical motor 16 and the movement of the con veyor is continuous during each complete cycle of the conveyor.

As' the rear end portion of a of the cartridge-feeding drums 32, a rotatable disc 49 having a projection 50 and which is driven by the worm-wheel I25 and is thus rotated in timed relationship with the conveyor and makes one revolution per cycle, is arranged to engage a switch 5| which cuts out the electric motor. As shown, the disc 49 is fixed to the shaft I26 and thus is driven from the worm-shaft 23. The operation of the switch causes the machine to stop with the second part of the conveyor in a position such that the leading end of a new belt' can easily be placed on the conveyor, the position being in advance of the first of the rotatable feeding-drums, see Figures 13 and 3B. The position at which the conveyor comes to rest need not be very exact so long as the plain portion is approximately in the position shown in Figure 3A, and it is therefore suficient to turn off the current at a given moment and allow motor and machine to come to rest in their own time. A cam 52, fixed to the same shaft as the disc 49 and thus also operable in timed relationship with the conveyor, is arranged successively to operate four levers 53 pivoted in the housing 21 at points 54. To each of the levers there is connected a link 55 also connected to a lever 56 pivoted at a point 5'! in the casing 21. 1 To the top of each lever 56 there is fixed a plate 58 which is thus mounted for arcuate movement above the surface of a drum so as to interrupt the delivery of cartridges from the guides 45 to the flutes of that drum. The operation of these plates prevents cartridges from being fed by any of the four drums to the second portion of the conveyor as it passes beneath the drums.

After the cartridges have been delivered to the pockets of the conveyor and aligned with the clips therein, the conveyor moves the aligned clips and cartridges past the pusher-mechanism 4 which is arranged to insert the'cartridges into the clips in a manner similar to that described in United States application Serial No. 369,660. During this operation the reaction is taken by the from the conveyor by a plate having prongs 59, in a manner similar to that described in United States application Serial No. 369,669. At the time when the conveyor is stopped so that a new belt maybe introduced to the leading pockets of the conveyor, the preceding belt is only partly charged, thus it will be seen that during each cycle of the conveyor a belt is partly charged. Although this is the case, it will be evident from the preceding description that one cycle of the conveyor, in effect, produces one completely charged belt.

In Figure 6 a circuit suitable for use with a 3- phase motor is shown. The motor I5 is provided with a starter enclosed within a case 63, Figure 1B and indicatediby dotted lines in Figure 6. The cycle timing switch 5! is arranged to control the operation of the starter and a further control is effected by a manualv switch 64. When this is operated to move its operative end tothe left, Figure 6, the motor starter is caused to startfthe'motor. At the end of a cycle, the timing switch 5| stops the motor. If, however, the handle of the manual switch is oscillated to and fro,.,the motor may be finched to obtain slight movements of the machine in setting-up,,,and like operations.

If desired, detector mechanism may be m belt is moved by the conveyor towards the first vided to prevent the machine from being restarted if a belt has not been properly located on the conveyor by the operator, who places the leading clips of a belt in the leading pockets of the conveyor.

i What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A machine for charging preformed cartridge-ibelts comprising in combination endless conveyor-mechanism which comprises two successive portions, the first portion having a number of locating-means equal in number to the number of clips on a belt and arranged to retain the clips substantially equispaced whilstbeing fed by the conveyor-mechanism, and the second,

portion being of sufficient length to accommo date tags on the belts, cartridge feeding means to deliver cartridges into alignment with clips located in the said first portion and to prevent the feeding of cartridges to said second portion, means driving said cartridge feeding means and saidconveyormechanism in timed relation, and means to insert into the clips the cartridges so fed.

2. A machine for charging preformed cartridge-belts comprising in combination endless conveyor-mechanism which comprises two successive portions, the first portion having a number of locating-means equal in number to the number of clips on a belt and arranged to retain the clips substantially equispaced whilst being fed by the conveyor-mechanism, and the second portionbeing of sufiicient length to accommodate tags on the belts, cartridge feeding means to deliver cartridges into alignment with clips located in the said first portion and to prevent the feeding of cartridges to said second portion, means driving said cartridge feeding means and said conveyor mechanism in timed relation, and means to insert into the clips the cartridges so fed, said cartridge feeding means comprising a plurality of feeding stations along the conveyor, the said means to prevent feeding of the cartridges comprising a control-member movable in timed re lationship with theconveyor, stop-members movable into and out of the path of cartridges at each station, and means operable by said cone trol-member at the end of a predetermined time during a cycle of the conveyor for IllOVii'ig the stop-members into the paths of the cartridges to hold up the further feeding of the cartridges,

' 3. A machine for charging preformed care tridge belts comprising 'in combination endless conveyor-mechanism which comprises two suc-' cessive portions, the first portion having a numfed, and means operable automatically to render said driving means inoperative once in each cycle of operation of the machine to facilitate the feeding of uncharged belts to said conveyor mechanism. s, 1 T

4'; A machine for charging preformed cartridge-belts comprising in combinationf endless conveyor-mechanism which comprises two successive portions, the first portion having a num-' ber of locating-means equal in number to the number of clips on a belt and arranged to retain the clips substantially equispaced whilst being fed by the conveyor mechanism, and the second portion being of sufficient length to accommodate tags on the belts, cartridge feeding means to deliver cartridges into alignment with clipslocated in the said first portion and to prevent the feeding of cartridges to said second portion means driving said cartridge feeding means and said conveyor mechanism in timed relation, and

means to insert into theclips the cartridges so fed, said cartridge feeding means comprising a plurality of feeding stations along the conveyor, the said means to prevent feeding of the cartridges comprising a rotatable cam movable in timed relationship with the conveyor, and stop" members movable by said cam once during each cycleof operation of the machine into the paths of the cartridges to hold up the further feeding of the cartridges.

5, A machine for charging preformed cartridge-belts comprising in combination endless conveyor-mechanism which comprises two successive portions, the first portion having a number of locating-means equal in number to the number of slips on a belt andarranged to retain the clips substantially equispaced whilst being fed by the conveyor-mechanism, and the second portion being of sufiicient length to accommodate tags on the belts, cartridge feeding means to deliver cartridges into alignment with clips located in the said first portionand to prevent the feeding of cartridges to said second portion, means driving said cartridge feeding means and said conveyor mechanism in timed relation, and means to insert into the clips the cartridges so fed, said cartridge feeding means oomprisinga plurality of feeding stations along the conveyor, the said meansto prevent feeding of the car.- tridges comprisinga control-member movable in timed relationship with the conveyor, stop members movable into andoutof the path of cartridges at each station; and means operable by said control member atthe end of a predetermined time during a cycle of the conveyor for moving the stop-members into the paths of the cartridges to holdup the further. feeding of the cartridges, and means operable automatically to render said driving means inoperative once in ber of locating-means equal in number to the number of clips on a belt and arranged to retain each cycle of operation of the machine to facilitate the feeding of uncharged belts to said conveyor mechanism.

6. A 'machine for charging preformed cartridge-belts comprising in combination endless conveyor-mechanism which comprises two suci cessive portions, the first portion having a number of locating-meansv equal in'number to the number of clips on a belt and arranged to retain the clips substantially equispaced whilst being fedfby thefconveyor-mechanism, and the second portion being of sufficient length to accommodate tags'on the belts, cartridge feeding means to deliver cartridges intoalignment with clips located in the said first portion and to prevent the feeding of cartridges'to' said second portion,

means driving said cartridgexfeeding means'and said conveyor mechanism in timed relation, and means to insert into the clips the cartridges so fed, 'said cartridge feedin-gmeans comprising-a plurality of feeding stations along the conveyor,.

the said means to prevent feeding of the cartridgescomprising a rotatable cam movable in timed relationship with the, conveyor, and stop members movable by said cam once during each cycle of operation of the machine into the paths of the cartridges to hold up the further feeding of the cartridges, and means operable automatically to render said driving means inoperative once in each cycle of operation of the machine to facilitate the feeding of uncharged belts to said conveyor mechanism.

7. A machine for charging preformed cartridgebelts comprising in combination endless conveyormechanism which comprises two successive portions, the first portion having a number of locating-means equal in number to the number of clips on a belt and arranged to retain the clips substantially equispaced whilst being fed by the conveyor-mechanism, and the second portion being of suflicient length to accommodate tags on the belts, cartridge feeding means to deliver cartridges into alignment with clips located in the said first portion and to prevent the feeding of cartridges to said second portion, means driving said cartridge feeding means and said conveyor mechanism in timed relation, means to insert into the clips the cartridges so fed, and means operable automatically to render said driving means inoperative once in each cycle of operation of the machine to facilitate the feeding of uncharged belts to said conveyor mechanism, said last named means including an electrical motor, a source of power in circuit with said motor, and a member movable in timed relation with said conveyor for opening the circuit.

8. A machine for charging preformed cartridgebelts comprising in combination endless conveyormechanism which comprises two successive portions, the first portion having a number of locatingmeans equal in number to the number of clips on a belt and arranged to retain the clips substantially equispaced whilst being fed by the conveyor-mechanism, and the second portion being of sufficient length to accommodate tags on the belts, and being so shaped that the tags lie fiat thereon, cartridge feeding means to deliver cartridges into alignment with clips located in the said first portion and to prevent the feeding of cartridges to said second portion, means driving said cartridge feeding means and said conveyor mechanism in timed relation, and means to insert into the clips the cartridges so fed, and means operable automatically to render said driving means inoperative once in each cycle of operation of the machine to facilitate the feeding of uncharged belts to said conveyor mechanism.

9. A machine for charging preformed cartridgebelts comprising in combination endless conveyormechanism which comprises two successive portions, the first portion having a number of leating means equal in number to the number of clips on a belt and arranged to retain the clips substantially equispaced whilst being fed by the conveyor-mechanism, and the second portion being of sufficient length to accommodate tags on the belts, cartridge feeding means to deliver cartridges into alignment with clips located in the said first portion and to prevent the feeding of cartridges to said second portion, means driving said cartridge feeding means and said conveyor mechanism in timed relation, means to insert into the clips the cartridges so fed, and means operable automatically to render said driving means inoperative once in each cycle of operation of the machine to facilitate the feeding of uncharged belts to said conveyor mechanism, and guide members extending lengthwise of said conveyor mechanism and disposed above the latter for engaging and locating the clips on the conveyor.

10. A machine for charging preformed cartridge-belts comprising in combination endless conveyor-mechanism which comprises two successive portions, the first portion having a number of locating-means equal in number to the number of clips on a belt and arranged to retain the clips substantially equispaced whist being fed by the conveyor-mechanism, and the second portion being of sufficient length to accommodate tags on the belts, cartridge feeding means to deliver cartridges into alignment with clips located in the said first portion and to prevent the feeding of cartridges to said second portion, means driving said cartridge feeding means and said conveyor mechanism in timed relation, and means to insert into the clips the cartridges so fed, said cartridge feeding means comprising a plurality of feeding stations along the conveyor, the said means to prevent feeding of the cartridges comprising a control-member movable in timed relationship with the conveyor, stop members movable into and out of the path of cartridges at each station, and means operable by said control-member at the end of a predetermined time during a cycle of the conveyor for moving the stop-members into the paths of the cartridges to hold up the further feeding of the cartridges, and means operable automatically to render said driving means inoperative once in each cycle of operation of the machine to facilitate the feeding of uncharged belts to said conveyor mechanism, said last named means including an electrical motor, a source of power in circuit with said motor, and a member movable in timed relation with said conveyor for opening the circuit.

CHARLES THOMAS HALL. 

